Eliza gripped me tightly as I held her against my chest, her arms wrapped around my neck. I moved through the current, slowly adjusting to the temperature, until I found a spot where the water only reached chest-height when I sat down.
"You should be able to stand easily right here," I said. "Go grab the soap and cloth from the bank, and I'll help you wash."
Eliza didn't budge.
In my rush to cool off, I had left the supplies on the shore, but she showed zero interest in letting go. Given how close our bare skin was, I didn't want to move around too much—my body was already on high alert, and moving only made it worse.
"I don't need soap," Eliza murmured, leaning into my shoulder. "You can just rub me clean with your hands, right?"
I rolled my eyes at where that logic would lead. Still, the river current was enough to rinse away the urine, and she could take a proper bath once we reached Northwall. For now, I simply relaxed in the cool water with a stunning, naked noble girl resting in my lap.
Things had been moving steadily since I woke up in this world, and while this situation was completely absurd, I certainly wasn't going to complain. Still, I needed to plan my next move for when we reached her city.
"Listen," I began, looking down at her. "When we head to Northwall, I'm going in as your prisoner. I don't want to cause a massive scene right off the bat."
Eliza shook her head, looking up at me. "You've bathed with me while completely unclothed. No one has ever done that before. I belong to you now, and I'll follow whatever path you choose."
My eyes widened. "Wait! What?! No—I'm just helping the villagers settle things!"
Eliza gave a nonchalant shrug. "Fine then. I'll abdicate my position as Countess and come live by your side. There's no escaping this. You're the most fascinating woman I've ever met, not to mention the strongest and bravest. I'm not leaving your side, and you can do whatever you want with my body. You've taken my virginity."
I stared at her, utterly speechless.
What the hell?!
This was definitely not part of the plan. And what on earth was she talking about regarding "virginity"?!
"Hold on a damn minute!" I protested. "How did I take your virginity?! We haven't had sex! I mean, your hand might have touched my shaft, but nothing has gone inside you!"
Eliza gave me a strangely strained look. "What are you talking about? Bathing bare together is sacred among women! I don't know how things work wherever you came from, but I accept you, and I want to be your partner! You'll be the first woman to lay hands on me and make me whole!"
I felt like pulling my hair out. I hadn't set out to get bound to a spoiled teenage noble, no matter how attractive she was! Why had no one warned me about the cultural rules here?!
I was going to have a very serious word with Elder Lily when we got back. That old bat definitely knew what she was doing when she sent us down here together!
Still, what was I supposed to do now? I'd joked earlier about taking risks, but I was well and truly in deep water now.
"You don't know a single thing about me!" I argued. "You don't even know my name! I don't even know my name! I literally woke up in a forest a couple of hours ago! You only say you want me because you think I tricked you into a ritual!"
Eliza rested her head back against my chest. "Maybe you didn't know the custom, but you have to understand how I feel. This ritual can only happen once, and it happened with you. I might have let it happen on purpose, but you were the one who insisted I get clean. I assumed you knew what you were doing when you brought me into the river."
I let out a heavy groan. She wasn't wrong—and arguing over who's fault it was wouldn't change where we were now.
"What happens to your town if you just up and leave?" I asked, trying to find a logical angle. "Who rules Northwall?"
"Lady Katarina," Eliza explained, her tone flattening. "She handles all the administrative affairs anyway and just uses me as a public figurehead. If I leave, she gets total control. Which is fine by me—I hate going around giving orders to people who despise me. Everyone who looks at me is either terrified or bitter, but since it was my duty, I just endured it."
As she spoke, my hand moved on instinct, gently stroking the back of her hair.
"What changed?" I asked softly. "You were ready to have Elder Lily beaten just twenty minutes ago."
Eliza squeezed me tighter. "I'm sorry. I was so caught up in forcing people to obey me that it went to my head. If you hadn't stopped me, I would have had to live with that guilt. I was in a foul mood because Lady Katarina has been pressuring me lately. It feels like she's intentionally pushing me to make the villagers hate me, even though she's always polite to my face."
I nodded thoughtfully. So there's a puppet master in the background.
"That's all the more reason for you to take me back as a prisoner," I explained. "I want to see what Northwall is really like before making a move. To do that, you need to remain the Countess for a little longer."
Eliza looked up at me, her eyes suddenly bright with hope. "Does that mean you accept me as your Life Partner?"
"It doesn't seem like you're giving me much choice," I sighed. "I hadn't planned on settling down so fast. I haven't even seen the world or met other people yet."
Eliza shrugged casually. "You can still meet others. I don't mind sharing you a little, but I am your Life Partner now. Feel free to use my body however you wish, and I'll make sure you never feel the need for anyone else!"
I could only let out a long, defeated sigh.